Falcons Quiet Raheem Morris, Keep Hold of NFC South

For the second consecutive game, the Atlanta Falcons thoroughly outplayed their opponent, while remaining quiet in the midst of trash talk from opposing players and coaches, to improve their record to 6-2. Even more impressive is that the Falcons are now 17-1 in games at the Georgia Dome in which Matt Ryan has started. The score, 27-21, does not indicate the level in which the Buccaneers were outplayed on this day, however, Atlanta was still a 4th and 1 call away from handing over a victory.

The Falcons came off the bye week rejuvenated, with a boost on defense from returning starters Thomas Decoud and Dunta Robinson, but were still without rookie LB Sean Weatherspoon, who missed his 3rd straight game with a knee injury. The Falcons had a relentless pursuit to the football for all sixty minutes on defense, displaying a stingy run defense that held LaGarrette Blount and Cadillac Williams to just 59 yards on 21 carries combined. Atlanta’s defense also managed the effectiveness of 2nd year quarterback Josh Freeman, holding him to 11 of 22 passing, for just 189 yards, with two interceptions in the 2 nd half. Jonathan Babineaux, who has been a key factor in solidifying the Falcons defensive line, came up with the first interception off a deflection, setting up a 5 yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to backup tight end Michael Palmer. Brent Grimes, made a terrific break on an out route toward the sideline for the second pick, as Tampa Bay attempted to gain its first lead at the start of the 4th quarter. Of Freeman’s 189 yards, 58 of them came on a catch and run by rookie Mike Williams, who eluded Dunta Robinson to take it to the house. Freeman also connected on a 14 yard touchdown pass to another rookie in Arrelious Benn, after being set up on the Atlanta 32 yard line by a 66 yard kickoff return from Michael Spurlock, who would come back to haunt the Falcons again late in the 3rd quarter. Spurlock fielded a bouncing kickoff at the 11 yard line, and proceeded to embarrass the Falcons coverage unit, slipping away from numerous arm tackles to go 89 yards for the touchdown. Despite the brilliant effort on defense, poor special teams play combined with the continued knack for giving up big plays helped Tampa to find themselves in a 4th and 1 situation in the closing minutes on the Atlanta 2 yard line. Raheem Morris, despite the inconsistent play from his offensive line in generating holes for the run game, opted to run Blount off tackle, directly into the waiting arms of Thomas Decoud. DeCoud was relatively quiet for most of the game, but came up with a huge stop that helped sealed the game for the Falcons.

The terrific performance on the part of the defense was overshadowed in many ways by the awful performance on special teams, which has troubled the Falcons throughout the season. Early in the season, it was difficult to overreact to these issues, as a few film sessions can usually fix special teams woes. Now midway through the season, it appears this unit has actually digressed. Whether the problems are coaching or personnel related is debatable, but the Falcons cannot continue to give points away or put their defense in vulnerable situations.

Offensively, the Falcons were crisp and maintained good rhythm on the ground and through the air despite losing Roddy White and Todd McClure to knee injuries. Both players did return in the second half, although Roddy White was a non-factor for most of the game. Tony Gonzalez led all Falcon receivers with 8 catches for 72 yards, while Michael Turner gained 107 yards on 24 carries, to lead an offense that played mistake free football. The Falcons nearly doubled the Buccaneers on 1st downs (26-14) while committing zero turnovers, and holding Tampa’s defense to zero sacks. The Georgia Dome is quickly climbing the charts of buildings opposing teams do not want to play in, not necessarily because of a raucous home crowd, but rather because of the poise and execution of the Falcons’ offense in their home environment, led by Matt Ryan.

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One of the more intriguing aspects of this game Falcons’ fans should be encouraged by did not take place on the field, but rather in the press conference following the game by Mike Smith, showing that the Falcons are not content with being 6-2 and that there is still plenty of work left to do. Smith, in response to whether or not the Falcons are now the best team in the NFC, stated, “No, I am not prepared to say that at all. We are the best team of the two teams that played today. We’ll get an opportunity to play them again down the road. You get what you earn in this league, and we earned a win today. I am proud of where our guys are but I tell you we’re 6-2 and there’s some guys in that room that are upset about it. They know that we have not put together the type of football game for 60 minutes on all three phases that we can play.” Wow. In an era where the Rex Ryan’s, Josh McDaniel’s, and Raheem Morris’s steal the headlines with their bravado and swagger, it is nice to see Smith take nothing for granted. This truly speaks volumes about the type of attitude and hunger he is attempting to instill into his players. He acknowledges the weaknesses of the team and the work that is still needed to be done, but is still encouraged by his team’s 6-2 start. In a crazy year, where wins have been difficult to come by for all teams, making those crucial couple of plays every Sunday is usually the difference in a win or a loss. The Falcons have been pushed to the brink on several occasions this season, but have found the wherewithal to survive. What started as a season hopeful of making a playoff run, is quickly turning into, dare I say it, home field advantage?

Week 10 Preview: Without question, this will be the biggest test for the Falcons so far this season, facing a Baltimore Ravens team that has kept the core of dominant defenses of years past, while adding explosive weapons on offense. Joe Flacco, will be eager to upstage fellow 2008 1st round draft pick Matt Ryan, in a Thursday night showdown at the Georgia Dome. With just three days rest, preparation will serve extra importance for this game. The Falcons will look to replicate their performance on offense from this Sunday, controlling time of possession, while protecting Matt Ryan and staying turnover free. The Falcons cannot get into a shootout with Baltimore, nor can they allow Ray Rice to control the ball and dictate the pace of this game. The key will be for Atlanta to grab the lead early, and look to control field position the rest of the way. Joe Flacco has too many options at his disposal with the additions of wide receivers Anquan Boldin, T.J. Housmanzedah, and the return of Donte Stallworth, to allow him to work with a short field. Furthermore, Ray Rice could be a nightmare to the Falcons front seven, who have had the privilege of facing many stagnant rushing offenses this season. Rice has also continued to be a major part of the passing attack for Baltimore as well, leading the team with 97 receiving yards in a win over Miami last week. A hopeful return of a healthy Sean Weatherspoon would be a huge factor in limiting not only Rice, but Todd Heap as well. If the Falcons can display a similar offensive performance against a potent Ravens defense, while improving special teams coverage and limiting the effectiveness of Flacco and Rice, Atlanta may very well cement themselves into discussion as not only a top NFC team, but a top NFL team.

By Kevin Sirkin
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer